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          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

         August 23, 2008

 

         Contact: M. Kaye Christman, Managing Director

         (920) 854-6117, [email protected]

   

      

AFT Culminates New Musical Workshop with Gala

On Friday, July 25, AFT fans and supporters gathered at Cyndy Stiehl's home in Ephraim for a gala entitled "A Cheesy Affair," which featured a reading of Cheeseheads: The Musical, the newest dramatic effort by blockbuster writing duo Dave Hudson and Paul Libman.

The sold-out event gave people the opportunity to be the first to preview this exciting new play-in-process.  In addition to the reading, guests enjoyed a lavish, cheese-inspired buffet. Hudson and Libman added to the excitement of the gala by offering personalized musical voice mail message recordings for an additional donation.

Hudson and Libman, who also collaborated to create AFT hits Muskie Love, Main-Travelled Roads, and A Cabin with a View, joined twelve AFT company members (including actors, directors, musicians, technicians, and a stage manager) to mount a reading of the play-in-process, which tells the story of a group of Sheboygan cheese factory employees who win the lottery.

The reading at Stiehl's home marked the end of a weeklong workshop of the show, during which actors logged 30 hours of rehearsal and performance time in addition to their typical performance schedule. Hudson and Libman spent over 50 hours on revisions during the week in addition to the 30 hours spent in the rehearsal hall.

AFT Artistic Director Jeffrey Herbst deemed the event a great success, calling it "a spectacular way to celebrate the process of developing new musicals at AFT. Cyndy [Stiehl], who is Vice Chairperson of the AFT Board, and the entire Board of Directors have been instrumental in making sure that the developmental process for new musicals is well supported. The benefit was a day of celebrating the work done and progress made during the workshop and was a great way to celebrate AFT's mission."

(Please let us know if you'd like to receive higher quality files of these photos)

Cheesy Affair Pic 1
Doc Heide speaks to guests at "A Cheesy Affair"

Cheesy Affair Pic 2
Doug Mancheski, Jessica MaAnaney, Chase Stoeger, Stephanie Olson, Dan Klarer, and Lee Becker read from Cheeseheads: The Musical

Cheesy Affair Dave & Paul
Playwrights Paul Hudson and Dave Libman


American Folklore Theatre is a non-profit professional theatre organization that produces original musical shows in repertory from June through August in Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek, WI.  AFT continues its performances into the fall with shows in Door County town halls September through October and over the Christmas holidays.  American Folklore Theatre is a member of Theatre Wisconsin and the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), organizations that promote non-profit theatre groups.  For more information on American Folklore Theatre, please call the AFT office at (920) 854-6117 or visit the AFT website at www.FolkloreTheatre.com.